People who bought this also bought...

The Cuckoo's Calling

After losing his leg to a land mine in Afghanistan, Cormoran Strike is barely scraping by as a private investigator. Then John Bristow walks through his door with an amazing story: his sister, the legendary supermodel Lula Landry, famously fell to her death a few months earlier. The police ruled it a suicide, but John refuses to believe that. The case plunges Strike into the world of multimillionaire beauties, rock-star boyfriends, and desperate designers, and it introduces him to every variety of pleasure, enticement, seduction, and delusion known to man.

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

A mysterious island. An abandoned orphanage. A strange collection of very curious photographs. As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets 16-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. And somehow—impossible though it seems—they may still be alive.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Book 1

Harry Potter has never even heard of Hogwarts when the letters start dropping on the doormat at number four, Privet Drive. Addressed in green ink on yellowish parchment with a purple seal, they are swiftly confiscated by his grisly aunt and uncle. Then, on Harry's eleventh birthday, a great beetle-eyed giant of a man called Rubeus Hagrid bursts in with some astonishing news: Harry Potter is a wizard, and he has a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. An incredible adventure is about to begin!

The Girl on the Train: A Novel

Audie Award, Audiobook of the Year, 2016. Rachel takes the same commuter train every morning. Every day she rattles down the track, flashes past a stretch of cozy suburban homes, and stops at the signal that allows her to daily watch the same couple breakfasting on their deck. She’s even started to feel like she knows them. "Jess and Jason," she calls them. Their life—as she sees it—is perfect. Not unlike the life she recently lost. And then she sees something shocking. It’s only a minute until the train moves on, but it’s enough. Now everything’s changed. Unable to keep it to herself, Rachel offers what she knows to the police, and becomes inextricably entwined in what happens next, as well as in the lives of everyone involved. Has she done more harm than good? Compulsively readable, The Girl on the Train is an emotionally immersive, Hitchcockian thriller and an electrifying debut.

The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo

In The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo, Amy mines her past for stories about her teenage years, her family, relationships, and sex and shares the experiences that have shaped who she is - a woman with the courage to bare her soul to stand up for what she believes in, all while making us laugh. Down to earth and relatable, frank and unapologetic, Amy Schumer is one of us: She relies on her sister for advice, still hangs out with her high school pals, and continues to navigate the ever-changing boundaries in love, work, and life.

The Whistler

Lacy Stoltz is an investigator for the Florida Board on Judicial Conduct. She is a lawyer, not a cop, and it is her job to respond to complaints dealing with judicial misconduct. After nine years with the board, she knows that most problems are caused by incompetence, not corruption. But a corruption case eventually crosses her desk. A previously disbarred lawyer is back in business with a new identity. He now goes by the name Greg Myers, and he claims to know of a Florida judge who has stolen more money than all other crooked judges combined.

Behind Closed Doors

Everyone knows a couple like Jack and Grace. He has looks and wealth; she has charm and elegance. He's a dedicated attorney who has never lost a case; she is a flawless homemaker, a masterful gardener and cook, and dotes on her disabled younger sister. Though they are still newlyweds, they seem to have it all. You might not want to like them, but you do. You're hopelessly charmed by the ease and comfort of their home, by the graciousness of the dinner parties they throw. You’d like to get to know Grace better.

The Night Circus

The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night.

The Trespasser: A Novel

Being on the murder squad is nothing like Detective Antoinette Conway dreamed it would be. Her partner, Stephen Moran, is the only person who seems glad she's there. The rest of her working life is a stream of thankless cases, vicious pranks, and harassment. Antoinette is savagely tough, but she's getting close to the breaking point. Their new case looks like yet another by-the-numbers lovers' quarrel gone bad. Aislinn Murray is blond, pretty, groomed to a shine, and dead in her catalogue-perfect living room, next to a table set for a romantic dinner.

The Hobbit

Like every other hobbit, Bilbo Baggins likes nothing better than a quiet evening in his snug hole in the ground, dining on a sumptuous dinner in front of a fire. But when a wandering wizard captivates him with tales of the unknown, Bilbo becomes restless. Soon he joins the wizard’s band of homeless dwarves in search of giant spiders, savage wolves, and other dangers. Bilbo quickly tires of the quest for adventure and longs for the security of his familiar home. But before he can return to his life of comfort, he must face the greatest threat of all.

Small Great Things: A Novel

Ruth Jefferson is a labor and delivery nurse at a Connecticut hospital with more than 20 years' experience. During her shift, Ruth begins a routine checkup on a newborn, only to be told a few minutes later that she's been reassigned to another patient. The parents are white supremacists and don't want Ruth, who is African American, to touch their child. The hospital complies with their request, but the next day the baby goes into cardiac distress while Ruth is alone in the nursery. Does she obey orders, or does she intervene?

The Complete Sherlock Holmes: The Heirloom Collection

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes tales are rightly ranked among the seminal works of mystery and detective fiction. Included in this collection are all four full-length Holmes novels and more than forty short masterpieces - from the inaugural adventure A Study in Scarlet to timeless favorites like “The Speckled Band” and more. At the center of each stands the iconic figure of Holmes - brilliant, eccentric, and capable of amazing feats of deductive reasoning.

Truly Madly Guilty

In Truly Madly Guilty, Liane Moriarty takes on the foundations of our lives: marriage, sex, parenthood, and friendship. She shows how guilt can expose the fault lines in the most seemingly strong relationships, how what we don't say can be more powerful than what we do, and how sometimes it is the most innocent of moments that can do the greatest harm.

Stoneheart: The Stoneheart Trilogy, Book One

A city has many lives and layers. London has more than most. A 12-year-old boy named George Chapman is about to find this out the hard way. On a school trip he's punished for something he didn't do. In a tiny act of rebellion, he lashes out at a small carving on the wall - unexpectedly breaking it off. And then something horrible does happen: a stone pterodactyl unpeels form the wall and starts chasing him. George is already running before his mind starts trying to tell him that this is impossible!

A Man Called Ove

Meet Ove. He's a curmudgeon - the kind of man who points at people he dislikes as if they were burglars caught outside his bedroom window. He has staunch principles, strict routines, and a short fuse. People call him "the bitter neighbor from hell". But behind the cranky exterior there is a story and a sadness.

Big Little Lies

Pirriwee Public's annual school Trivia Night has ended in a shocking riot. One parent is dead. The school principal is horrified. As police investigate what appears to have been a tragic accident, signs begin to indicate that this devastating death might have been cold-blooded murder. In this thought-provoking novel, number-one New York Times best-selling author Liane Moriarty deftly explores the reality of parenting and playground politics, ex-husbands and ex-wives, and fractured families.

All the Light We Cannot See: A Novel

Marie-Laure lives with her father in Paris near the Museum of Natural History, where he works as the master of its thousands of locks. When she is six, Marie-Laure goes blind and her father builds a perfect miniature of their neighborhood so she can memorize it by touch and navigate her way home. When she is 12, the Nazis occupy Paris and father and daughter flee to the walled citadel of Saint-Malo, where Marie-Laure’s reclusive great-uncle lives in a tall house by the sea. With them they carry what might be the museum’s most valuable and dangerous jewel.

77 Shadow Street

Enter the world of the Pendleton: The original owner became a recluse - and was rumored to be more than half mad - after his wife and two children were kidnapped in 1896 and never found. The second owner suffered a worse tragedy in 1935, when his house manager murdered him, his family, and the entire live-in staff.... Craftsmen and laborers working on renovations disappear or go mad.... For years, the Pendleton is a happy place, until a bad turn comes again.... Voices in unknown languages are heard in deserted rooms....

Full Dark, No Stars

"I believe there is another man inside every man, a stranger...." writes Wilfred Leland James in the early pages of the riveting confession that makes up "1922", the first in this pitch-black quartet of mesmerizing tales from Stephen King. For James, that stranger is awakened when his wife, Arlette, proposes selling off the family homestead and moving to Omaha, setting in motion a gruesome train of murder and madness.

The Chemist

She used to work for the US government, but very few people ever knew that. An expert in her field, she was one of the darkest secrets of an agency so clandestine it doesn't even have a name. And when they decided she was a liability, they came for her without warning. Now she rarely stays in the same place or uses the same name for long. They've killed the only other person she trusted, but something she knows still poses a threat. They want her dead, and soon.

Hamilton: The Revolution

Lin-Manuel Miranda's groundbreaking musical, Hamilton, is as revolutionary as its subject: the poor kid from the Caribbean who fought the British, defended the Constitution, and helped to found the United States. Fusing hip-hop, pop, R&B, and the best traditions of theater, this once-in-a-generation show broadens the sound of Broadway, reveals the storytelling power of rap, and claims our country's origins for a diverse new generation.

The Supreme Gift

At the end of the 19th century, the young missionary Henry Drummond was asked to replace a famous preacher. Though at the beginning he did not convince the audience, they were soon captivated by his analysis of the words of the Apostle Paul. This sermon, The Greatest Thing in the World, has become a classic and is, without doubt, one of the most beautiful texts ever written on love.

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie

It is the summer of 1950 and a series of inexplicable events has struck Buckshaw, the decaying English mansion that Flavia's family calls home. A dead bird is found on the doorstep, a postage stamp bizarrely pinned to its beak. Hours later, Flavia finds a man lying in the cucumber patch and watches him as he takes his dying breath. For Flavia, who is both appalled and delighted, life begins in earnest when murder comes to Buckshaw.

Publisher's Summary

Shortlisted for: UK Author of the year – Specsavers National Book Awards 2012

When Barry Fairbrother dies in his early 40s, the town of Pagford is left in shock.

Pagford is, seemingly, an English idyll, with a cobbled market square and an ancient abbey, but what lies behind the pretty facade is a town at war. Rich at war with poor, teenagers at war with their parents, wives at war with their husbands, teachers at war with their pupils....

Pagford is not what it first seems. And the empty seat left by Barry on the parish council soon becomes the catalyst for the biggest war the town has yet seen. Who will triumph in an election fraught with passion, duplicity, and unexpected revelations?

A big novel about a small town, The Casual Vacancy is J.K. Rowling's first novel for adults. It is the work of a storyteller like no other.

What made the experience of listening to The Casual Vacancy the most enjoyable?

Rowling excels at providing the reader with complex characters - almost as if you are first looking at the shadow from a cardboard cut-out, a shallow cliche that slowly grows in complexity for good or ill. I came into the story with few pre-conceived ideas as to what I would find - other than there would be no magic.

Indeed, there was none. There was life, in all its hard brutal reality, starkly painted and unforgiving.

A book to enjoy for its difference.

What about Tom Hollander’s performance did you like?

Tom Hollander provides an even pace and warm tones that do not distract from the story.

Yes. I can't wait for more people to read this. It's a very true portrayal of marginalization and the light and shadow of intimate relationships.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Both Crystal and Andrew haunt me. Their circumstances, vulnerability and strength evoke empathy and hope for their happiness. Rowling understands duality in humans where the good and the bad sit alongside each other. She shows the irrefutable reasoning behind life choices we otherwise criticize.

What does Tom Hollander bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Great reader! He easily moves between the accents to embody the characters.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I can't forget the final scene.

Any additional comments?

I wonder if the reason for negative reader reviews is due to their expectation of fantasy based literature. The very realist style of this book is its strength.

As I said in the opening the language was quite startling and considering I was driving through a car park listening through the speakers in my car with the roof down, I had to quickly turn it off in case I caused offence. Now I am prepared for open spaces.JK Rowlings knows how to set a scene and does it just as effectively in this tale. It is quite a dark story and whilst I am only half way though I really wanted to warn people that they may not want to play it aloud in the earshot of others. The characters are great and the story is gritty, would I listen again? Probably not but am I enjoying it, yes.

This book was so depressing if I had continued listening to it I would have had to go on medication. No likeable characters, no redeeming features for any of the protagonists. I think Rowling's thought process was "What can I write about that's the complete antithesis of Harry Potter" ?

The writing must be good as I always was feeling the need for a hot shower to scrub clean. I may one day get hold of a paper copy to make sure all the horrible people get their just desserts, but I can no longer listen to it in the car when I cannot fast forward and have to listen to the foul, depressing distasteful things described in this book.

If I never read another word about adolescent sexual 'awakenings', particularly those of spotty masturbating boys, it will be way too soon. A tired subject that bores me no end and was never worthy of any literary merit.

Horrible, horrible book. It will be a long time before I spend my money on a JK Rowling book.

If you could sum up The Casual Vacancy in three words, what would they be?

Different, individual, sad

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

I must admit, it was slow to begin with and hard for me to get into - but that is only because it is a style I'm not used to reading, NOT a reflection of the writing.

The ending was heartbreaking, and I expected to be left with something more - but there wasn't and that was a little disappointing, but the story was just that, a story. It had no message or hidden agenda, just a story about ordinary people in a hard situation.

Which character – as performed by Tom Hollander – was your favorite?

I think he did them all very well.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It made me laugh and cry and angry and lots of emotions. A good emotional roller coaster.

Any additional comments?

Anyone expecting or hoping for something similar to HP should look elsewhere. It's sophisticated and mature. Not for someone who is squeamish of swearing or sexual reference or abuse. Anyone who feels offended by the harsh brutalities of life should stay away.

For myself, I loved the brutal honesty. I loved that she didn't shy away from the horrible aspects of life. I loved the nature of this book and how she purposefully lays bare those things about life that scare people and the way she shows how those things affect us. There is no sugar coating, and she tackles it all beautifully.

I was heartbroken by the ending, but I was also a little disappointed - it took me a long time to get into the story, but once I was into it, I was committed and frankly I expected a bit more from the ending. However, I now believe there was no specific purpose to this story, it was just a story. And it was a heartbreaking, yet beautiful one at that.

could not believe it expected exciting adult fun and its boring town council with crude words and teenage sex and drug taking.. did not expect it .. I am in my 50's so no child ...

Would you ever listen to anything by J. K. Rowling again?

give it a go

What didn’t you like about Tom Hollander’s performance?

dull and he even sounded bored with the telling.. but good voices

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from The Casual Vacancy?

the amount of the swearing it was toooooo much. I do not care that it is the way of the world now but tooooo much for me. good luck to all that like it....

Any additional comments?

got warned sorry I paid to hear this and I have 1000's of audio books from a great variety of authors... including of course Harry Potter.. I did not want another Harry but wanted an experience of sensual adult excitement with no magic written.. I got mmmmmmmm.. new school kids that are rude and crude.

If this book had been written without every sentence containing negative sexual content, and instead kept to a story base, it would have been an OK read, a book like many others. I do not think it lived up to her previous writings at all.

What could J. K. Rowling have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

J K Rowling has a supreme gift of word use which comes through at times. However, this is so overlayered by the negatives that her gifts unfortunately do not shine.

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

As above, I did not enjoy much about this book. My least favourite from Audible.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

Not much

Any additional comments?

Having seen a book written by J K Rowling was at last available on Audible I was delighted. Unfortunately, this did not measure up to my expectations. I found the book unpleasant and not worth the credit nor the time I spent listening to it. Out of the 19 hours this book takes to read, I listened to two and three quarter hours, waiting to see if it would improve. It didn't. In my opinion it was a sad waste of talent.

Like some of the longer Harry Potter books, I found this a bit ponderous at first. But the characters, humour and the fantastic way J K Rowling has of drawing things together made for a final 3rd as addicting as any of her previous work. I greatly enjoyed Tom Hollanders reading and accents too. So stick with it if the first downloadable chunk doesn't grab you. I was very glad I did, this is the best book I have listened to this year.

I was sad to hear that some quarters of the Sikh community have been critical of the portrayal of one of the teenage characters. The same advice applies here too, stick with it - I think the treatment of Sikhism is actually very positive.

29 of 31 people found this review helpful

Amazon Customer

United Kingdom

10/4/12

Overall

"'The book to listen to'."

A five star book with a 10 star narrator, well done Tom Hollander, you made a great book even better.

I have read so many reviews and as usual they are very mixed, all I can add as both a parent and a 'foster carer' this book is so true to life it will hopefully open peoples eyes to the reality of life for so many kids whatever class or creed they come from. We neglect our children at our peril, thank you

for pointing this out to the vast majority that hide their heads in the sand.

This book will be around for a long time to come.

22 of 25 people found this review helpful

Athula

Abingdon, United Kingdom

10/1/12

Overall

"Fantastic Read!"

I don't probably have to comment on the mastery of the undisputed "Queen" of fiction's ability. This is undoubtedly a masterpiece. But, here, my comment is on the narration and the narrator. Tom Hollander is just the icing on the cake crafted by Rowling. His reading is wonderful, a la-carte, music to the ears. I hope all narrators use this as a "classroom" lesson on narration. I am glad Audible has added this to their collection (I am sure they would not have missed). For the first time I felt listening to the book is better! Highly recommend. Although I must say, I did not see the point in so much swearing, was it a necessity or somebody out there was trying to prove a point?

31 of 37 people found this review helpful

Audible

London, United Kingdom

12/13/12

Overall

"Mixed feelings for a book with high expectations"

A Review by the Audible Staff Book Club:About the book:

The Casual Vacancy really got us talking, we were expecting a lot from Rowling, and had mixed opinions about the results. Set in a small town, peopled with a large cast of not-terribly-likeable characters, we thought the world she created was detailed but unforgiving. Unlike Harry Potter, where her world could be fantastical and wonder-ful, Pagford was realistic, almost brutally so. We all agreed that while JK Rowling is a good prose writer, the size of the cast, though interesting individually, made the thread of the story a bit difficult to follow in audio. As she was so detailed about painting the picture of the individual lives in this small town, we felt like the action dragged somewhat, and all felt like it was a long slog. Rowling’s observations were brilliant, we agreed that she can hit the spot with a poignant one-liner, but overall we felt the book itself - if not by Rowling - would be deemed by many more as mid-tier – nothing extra special or out of the ordinary.

Narrator:

All of us were initially surprised that the narrator was male, though we discussed whether he was chosen as the voice of Barry Fairbrother… Our general opinion of Tom Hollander was that he did a good job, especially as we felt the characters as written were a little caricatured. He did not fall into the trap of performing stereotypes, especially in regards to female characters - always difficult for the opposite sex to strike the right balance. If we were able to rate separately for narrator, he would have got 4 stars.

17 of 20 people found this review helpful

h

London, United Kingdom

10/14/12

Overall

"Brilliant."

A fantastic story with wonderful characters. I finished it last night and now I miss Pagford.

I love the multiple perspectives we get from all the interrelated characters. In this respect it reminds me a little bit of Irving Welsh novels, but it is not as brutal.

Tom Hollander is the very best narrator I've listened to. More from him please!

6 of 7 people found this review helpful

Miss L V Bennett

10/10/12

Overall

"Excellent!"

I really enjoyed this book, it is incredibly well written, so much so i decided to write a quick review. Living in Somerset I totally identified with the community dynamics and how the characters operate. The character's are very real, tender, tough, sometimes hideous and always true. The issues are vital and really matter and are explained in a very touching and humourous way. This is a very entertaining, well plotted and important book. I recommend it to anyone who likes reading about people. Oh and Tom Hollander does a great job of bringing it to life.

6 of 7 people found this review helpful

Athula

Abingdon, United Kingdom

10/1/12

Overall

"Fantastic Read!"

I don't probably have to comment on the mastery of the undisputed "Queen" of fiction's ability. This is undoubtedly a masterpiece. But, here, my comment is on the narration and the narrator. Tom Hollander is just the icing on the cake crafted by Rowling. His reading is wonderful, a la-carte, music to the ears. I hope all narrators use this as a "classroom" lesson on narration. I am glad Audible has added this to their collection (I am sure they would not have missed). For the first time I felt listening to the book is better! Highly recommend. Although I must say, I did not see the point in so much swearing, was it a necessity or somebody out there was trying to prove a point?

20 of 25 people found this review helpful

Mrs. D. E. Wallace

London, England

2/11/15

Overall

Performance

Story

"Couldn't finish it.."

Persevered but failed to finish. Brilliantly read but the story was just too slow and lacklustre. However Galbraith I love.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Paul Marks

Sheffield, UK

10/18/12

Overall

"It was ok"

If you read anything by JK, just because she wrote it, then I'm sure you'll enjoy it. I don't regret listening to it, but I wouldn't listen twice. It was ok, but from her, I would have hoped for better.

(It's most definitely NOT for kids)

10 of 13 people found this review helpful

Carol

Manchester, United Kingdom

10/22/12

Overall

"she's lost none of her touch"

You couldn't get further away from Hogwarts if you tried, yet the same strain of storytelling genius runs through-that's about the only similarity I can find. JK could have easily decided to hang up her typewriter forever and rest on her HP laurels-good for us she didn't. This woman can't half tell a yarn.

Mills and Boon this isn't-I'd be putting at least a 15+ rating on this book.

Hope she's started the next one.

btw, really surprised about the number of one star reviews-maybe they're from people who are struggling with the book because they haven't seen the film yet?

12 of 16 people found this review helpful

Report Inappropriate Content

If you find this review inappropriate and think it should be removed from our site, let us know. This report will be reviewed by Audible and we will take appropriate action.